Yuletide Often Proves to Be a Living Hell for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman anticipates spending time with her loved ones during the festive period, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, Christmas often feels like a particularly difficult period as the sounds of family members munching, sipping loudly and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of immediate anxiety, my entire being will just freeze and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has lived with misophonia for several years and for her that renders the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
The condition is widespread in the UK. Researchers found a significant portion of people suffer from it.
Typically it's sounds linked to bodily functions that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
She explains: "You encounter so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you dread it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of sacrificing my own sanity to ensure others enjoy themselves."
So it's clear why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone drinking champagne, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can cause a powerful reaction that can even lead to them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity since aged 10, says the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to cope. Usually, she would usually isolate herself in a quiet area to minimize triggering sounds.
She explains her sensitivity is more intense around people she's most familiar with, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to be around family, and I want to, but it's draining.
"I feel as if this sudden rage takes hold, which can feel awkward, or I'll feel stressed and begin to weep and then panic will take over.
"To others it appears as if I'm being difficult and melodramatic, but it's difficult to convey without firsthand experience."
Three Ways to Handle It
If you suffer then there are a few methods you can use to handle the situation, as suggested by specialists.
- Picture an Alternative: Imagination is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise causing distress with something completely different. As an illustration, try to imagine someone's slurping is just a sink draining water. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Use Humor: Have a bit of fun and make the irritating noise into a challenge involving the source. For example, if someone is eating noisily try copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an willing part. And the competition element should help distract your brain and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Craft a Story: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. Imagine if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or could be emotional. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Even though the noise remains identical, your reaction of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
